Avid to Synchronize Product Development on the Mac.

TEWKSBURY, Mass. -- Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced its plans to synchronize development for its Mac product line in preparation for Apple's introduction of Intel-based Macs next year. By synchronizing development for both Apple platforms, Avid's initial Mac HD release is now targeted for mid-2006 for Avid Xpress(R) Pro and Media Composer(R) Adrenaline(TM) systems running on PowerPC Macs. Following the arrival of Apple's Intel-based systems, Avid plans to deliver the same HD capabilities offered on PowerPC-based systems to Avid(R) products running on the new Mac-Intel architecture. This development coincides with the company's plans to achieve overall synchronization between Mac and Windows platforms by mid-2006.

"When Apple announced its plan to move to Intel processors this past June, we were as surprised as the rest of the industry," said Dana Ruzicka, vice president of Post Solutions for Avid. "The new Intel architecture shows great promise for improving Mac performance, but it also requires third-party developers to rework their roadmaps in order to support two Apple platforms. While this kind of wholesale change is good for the industry overall, we share our customers' frustrations with the disruption it can cause in the short-term. Given how important the Mac is to our customer base, we're embracing Apple's Xcode development environment, which enables us to simultaneously develop for both PowerPC- and Intel-based Mac systems. Although our timeframe for delivering HD on the Mac is now mid-2006, our support of both the new Intel architecture and the existing PowerPC platform offers a path for all of our loyal Mac customers - and helps us to better serve their needs in the long run."

Avid editing systems running on PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs are expected to provide the following HD capabilities:

--HD editing support - allowing users to edit major HD formats, including HDCAM, HDV and DVCPRO HD.

--Avid DNxHD(TM) support and encoding - enabling high-definition workflows at standard-definition data rates, but with the image quality of working at uncompressed HD resolutions.

--Real-time HD Multicam - allowing simultaneous playback of all multicam views for on-the-fly editing in real-time.

For more information about Avid products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management, and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast professionals to work more efficiently, productively, and creatively. For more information about the company's Oscar(R), Grammy(R), and Emmy(R) award-winning products and services, please visit: www.avid.com.

(C) 2005 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, system requirements, and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Digidesign, Film Composer, Pro Tools, Media Composer, Adrenaline, Avid Xpress, and Avid DNxHD are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Avid received an Oscar statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design, and engineering of the Avid Film Composer(R) system for motion picture editing. Digidesign, Avid's audio division, received an Oscar statuette representing the 2003 Scientific and Technical Award for the design, development, and implementation of its Pro Tools(R) digital audio workstation. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. Grammy is a trademark of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.